THE PATTEROLLERS ( Patrollers, Pattero’s, Pataroes) By Andre Austin“The Patrollers were bands of white men-usually young men-who were organized largely for the purpose of regulating the conduct of the slaves at night in such matters as preventing the slaves from going from one plantation to another without passes”-Up from Slavery by Booker T Washington p.56.Patter-rollers went into slaves houses at any time at night and steal money if they could find it and act as they please with his wives and daughters or sisters right in front of their husbands and boyfriends. If the blackman acted dissatisfied or looks cross they get flogged. The women got flogged after the sex act was over.The Patrollers have evolved into neighborhood watchmen post slavery. With the worst case scenario being the death of Travon Martin by half white man George Zimmerman.The famous song “Run ****** Run” came about from the slave running from the Patterollers: “If de Pattero’s ketch’ya way f’om home an he couldn’t sho no pass, he jes had ‘ta take a beaten or outrun’em”.Many of the slaves had relationships (wife, girlfriends) with the opposite sex from another plantation and that was one of the many reasons he went off at night.RUN ****** RUNPlease Ol, marsterDon’t whup meWhup dat ******Behin dat treeI run I runI run mah besI run putty closTuh er hornets nesDe Pataroes runDey run dere besDey run right in De hornets nes